Dear Editor,
David Granger needs to set the date for elections so that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) can work on the fast track to meet the March 21 deadline for new elections. Apart from the People’s National Congress (PNC)/Alliance For Change (AFC) diehards who would see their good life evaporate before their eyes, everyone else knows that the PNC has been using delaying tactics to postpone their day of judgement. Decent people are ashamed at the PNC’s shenanigans. The failure of Granger and GECOM to act with the required haste is creating a timeline crunch problem of their own making. They cannot not do anything and then turn around and say they don’t have enough time for preparations. I am glad Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said he would not be flexible with the March 21 deadline as that would be rewarding the PNC’s bullying behaviour. We call on Jagdeo to take whatever action to force the PNC and GECOM to comply with the Constitution of Guyana. We need an urgent assembling of civil society groups and interests, the Bar Association, trade unions, all churches, NGOs and all business associations to make a joint resolution asking the PNC to set the election date. A joint statement from the ABC/EU would also be helpful. For 28 years, the PNC Part 1 “riggeritis” era threw the whole country into a fight for democracy. The PNC is threatening democracy again. In 2015, for the first time in its history, the PNC became a legal Government, and there is a question mark on that as the PPP’s election petition has not been heard. As Freddie Kissoon indicated, in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), the PNC won by one vote and no recount was allowed. Just three and a half years into their new reign, the PNC has backslidden into its old bullying ways threatening the international image of Guyana and refusing to follow the Constitution.
Granger must think the Chief Justice must be making optional suggestions, unless he has no respect for the CJ. Both the Speaker and CJ – his nominees – ruled against him. There are some who give Granger a pass for the iniquities of his coalition. However, the buck stops with the President. Right now, he seems quite out of touch and is like that bra advertised on TV – he is “barely there.”
The tragedy right now is the silence of the good men. The churches have been quiet as a constitutional crisis looms. I do not know what it will take to get the churches to stir themselves up. I know the Christian churches believe Granger is a good, honest, godly man. However, the failures to fulfil election promises, and the various transgressions have occurred under his watch. Granger should care about his reputation and do the right thing now!
Sincerely,
Jerry Singh
